Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Biggest celebration in my community

We have many religious and cultural festivals in our society that are celebrated from the ancient period. We have two EID festivals, Sob-e-borat, Sob-e-kodor, Pohela Boishak (First day of Bengal New Year), First day of spring, Akushe February (Language Day), 16th December (Independence day), Nobanno utsab (festival of eating newly grown autumnal rice in the month of Agrahayan), etcI think EID festival (EID UL FITRE and EID UL AJHA) and Pohela Boishak (First day of Bengali New Year) and Akushe February are our biggest celebrations in our community.How we celebrate these festivals-EID festivals:We (Family members and nearest relatives) get together during EID festivals as all the service holders have EID vacation. Our family members may live different places in the country but most of them come to our birth family. All the family members try to buy gift (new dress) for his/her and for other family members. Every family cooks rich food of different items. Married daughters are invited with their husband and children. Young children receive salami (tips). Many people fix their marriage date or other parties during these vacations.All the people of the society pray their EID namaj in an open place and greet (each other) warmly. Every people in our society become happy and stay in pleasure during EID days. There are some religious values that make our society happier like as we provide some money as Fitra, Jakat to the poor people in our society. We (who have ability) also try to provide new dresses or some money to the poor people in our society. People in our society also try to get the good wishes of Allah by the helping of others.

(Villagers are working together and sharing the korbani with everyone)

Some people provide immolation of a beast (Korbani) in the EID-ul Ajha and all the families in a community share these (meat) among themselves. Only poor people also get the skin or price of the skins of these beasts. All of these activities make all the people happy, unity and peace to live together in our society.Pohela Boishak (First day of Bengali New Year)People in our society also celebrate Pohela Boishak (First day of Bengali New Year). It is also an enjoyable day in our society. Women and girls wear red and white colored sharee with soil-ornaments. Almost every child and other people wear cotton, colored, new or clean dress. They visit boishaki fair. There is an ancient landlord’s house in our locality including several large open fields where boishaki fair take place every year. We heard that landlord used to arrange boishaki fair after taking tax and to declare new tax rule. Now we have no landlord to take tax but we have the culture. People sing local and ancient folks, also enjoy horse race, different games like ha-du-du, kapadi, football etc. Young people get salami (tip) from the seniors. There are many games for young people and they can also buy various toys, various items of first food etc.Akushe February (21st February)Ekushe February (21st February) is our mother language day. Now it is International mother language day. Pakistani ruler wanted to set up Urdi as national language in east Bengal (Present Bangladesh). Students, factory workers, businessmen, farmers and people of every sector started to protest against this declaration and on 21 February 1952 students and political activities were killed by the Pakistani police who were protesting and demanding Bengali as their mother language. This agitation encouraged Bengali to be independent. So we celebrate this day from our heart every year. This day we awake up from the sleep very early in the morning. We go to the Shahid Minar (martyrs monument) on foot and we give flowers to the Shaheed Minar before sunrise. This day we don’t wear shoes. Young people make Shaheed Minar in lane to lane and area to area though every school, college and university has one Shaheed Minar. Highest amount of flowers are sold in this day. Every cultural and other organization arranges various programs in this day like Moncho natok (stage play), song ceremony etc. Schools and Colleges arrange their Yearly Play and Price ceremony in this day.Thus we enjoy whole day with our friends and family members.